Hi,
First and foremost i can say with all the confidence, and conviction that it is not you who is the looser, but it is the trainer who is the looser. A trainers job and his credentials depend on how well he can mould the target audience, with his training abilities, by way of providing individual attention. Any trainer worth his salt must possess the natural flair and passion towards his job. Only then he can be identified as a good trainer. Also as per your query, if feel there is no hard and fast rule that any partcipant has to make his or her first move to answer a trainer's query, even if means that the participant has an excellent communication skills. There is absolutely no rhyme or reason to rush your answer, and get into a race of answering first. Training programmes are not a buzzer round quiz competition (Though can be used as a methodology at times) to rush and shout your answers.
Further another important aspect. Your worry of not answering quick has got nothing to do with the first impression. The meaning, definition and context of first impression cannot be simply compared with your situation. We shall discuss more about it.
Wishing you all the very best and Warm Regards
Girimaji